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These are the SSI specialties that many divers choose first or most often. The reasons vary — some are about safety / comfort, others about exploring more dive sites, or extending dive time, etc. I’ve listed what they are, what you learn, and why they are popular.
| Specialty | What you learn / what it includes | Why many divers do it first / its benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Enriched Air Nitrox | Learn how to plan and dive with enriched air mixtures (higher O₂ content than air), calculate safe limits, analyze tanks, etc. | Increases available no-decompression dive time (i.e. longer dives), reduces nitrogen exposure, often low additional cost. Very useful especially for multi-dive days. It’s frequently called the most popular specialty. |
| Deep Diving | Training for safely diving beyond standard recreational depths (often ~18m), handling greater pressure, awareness of risks like narcosis, planning for deeper dives up to the SSI limit (often around 40m) depending on the location / instructor. | Allows access to more dive sites (wrecks, walls, drop-offs). Many dive spots are deep, so this specialty opens more options. In many “top specialties” lists. |
| Night Diving & Limited Visibility Diving | Skills to dive safely at night or when water visibility is low: using lights, communication, safety and orientation in darkness, entry/exit in the dark, understanding hazards. | Night dives often reveal marine life you don’t see in day, different ambience. Many divers want this experience. Also useful in some dive sites where visibility fluctuates. |
| Navigation | Using compass + natural navigation (landmarks, environmental cues), estimating distances underwater, swim / navigation patterns etc. | Being able to navigate underwater well makes dives safer, more confident; helps avoid getting lost; improves dive planning. Many divers feel it’s a fundamental skill. |
| Perfect Buoyancy | Techniques to control buoyancy finely: weight, trim, breathing, body position, neutral buoyancy, streamline; reducing air consumption; avoiding harming coral/floor etc. | Makes dives more comfortable, safer, less exertion, less air used. Many divers struggle with buoyancy early on, so getting good here improves almost every dive. |
| Wreck Diving | Safe planning and execution of dives around wrecks; sometimes non-penetration wrecks; assessing hazards; possibly penetration (depending on course); special lighting, navigation around wrecks. | Many dive sites have wrecks; they are interesting, exciting, historically or visually appealing. It’s a popular specialty for divers wanting more “adventure.” |
| Diver Stress & Rescue | Recognizing diver stress, handling emergency situations, rescue skills, helping panicked divers, first aid, self-rescue etc. | Improves safety for yourself and your buddy; gives confidence; often required / strongly recommended if you want to advance further or dive in more challenging conditions. |